Making Choices in a World Without God
It's natural to ask whether all this speculation matters. Asking this, it is easy to slip into the trap of making general conclusions and offering general advice for those who may agree with me on the issues raised here. That's a mistake. All I can do is say what it means to me Others may draw their own conclusions.
Basically, I can ignore religion's claims of authority (derived from beyond the observable Universe) as well as its claims that its insights trump observation reality.
If I compare my life and priorities with others who allow religion to totally dominate, the advantage is huge. Millions are willing to die for their particular religious fantasy. Millions of others willingly surrender their right to chose for themselves in matters of great personal impact. It matters.
This blog recognizes that I am embedded in a culture that is strongly influenced by "Christian" values and mythology. Many of us are broadly familiar with the stories in the Bible. However, actual in-depth knowledge of this book is rare. Young people - even those who think of themselves as Christian - are as shockingly ignorant about the Bible as they are about all other topics. As an influence on "Western" culture, Christianity has been so misunderstood, misapplied and discredited that it is now safe for any individual to disown it without looking back.
What is less clear is whether, by turning one's back on Christianity, I am left with the need to replace it with something else. If we accept that the soul (if any) dies with the body and there is no other Universe but the one Science describes, what are we to do without the supposed guidance that religion provides? This question remains even when we acknowledge that religion has a terrible track record in providing its supposed benefit - namely a population of believers who behave in anything like a moral, principled way.
Absent religion, Is there anything like good and evil? What is justice?
I am still left in my own personal "Matrix" in which every object, event, and situation is colored with value - everything is "good" or "bad". That's the way my brain works. If it didn't I'd starve to death in my bed, not caring to move.
One starting point is to accept the gift and the burden of free will - both for me and for those around me. We are all free to be murderers, liars, cheats and/or general parasites on society. Conversely, we can choose to be honest, principled and dedicated to the welfare of humanity. Moreover, we must admit that the choices we make and those made by others are often dictated by forces beyond our control. This observation leads us to an attitude of compassion and forgiveness (including self-forgiveness). Such an attitude recommends itself even if only to support personal peace of mind. We can choose not to be the angry sword of justice. Of course, we may choose differently but to do so flies in the face of true understanding and is bound to cause us personal grief.
But what do we do about the palpable danger that certain individuals pose to us personally and society at large? I think it makes sense for us to act to prevent such individuals from harming others. That is a supportable aim of what we call a "Justice" system. At the same time, we need to avoid the tendency for revenge and moral judgment to taint our core aim, which is to prevent harm. We need to take into account the actions of those who commit no "crime", but, through neglect and indifference. Especially in this category, the only effective action is to avoid these sins myself.
It is striking that one of the core values promoted in the Bible is what we might call tribalism. This is particularly evident in the Old Testament, which is the (largely mythical) story of how the ruler of the Universe concerns himself with the "chosen people": Israel. The "us and them" message continues in the New Testament with the message that belief in Jesus is the one and only criterion for selecting the individual for eternal life. The "us and them" mentality runs through the entire history of Christianity, as it splits into innumerable sects that regard themselves to have the keys to heaven and "outsiders" to be bound for Hell. Systematic indifference toward people who have been left out of the story entirely (such as those who never heard the "Gospel") continues in the form of indifference toward "enemy" civilians killed by the thousands in other countries.
I feel personally free to challenge this message and to do so wherever it occurs - whether in a religious context or not. It is the toxic message that is left behind even when the other-worldly justifications for it have been rejected. We need to stop thinking in terms of "us and them". "We" have no right to be killing "them". "They" have all the rights and aspirations that "we" do. "They" are not wrong about everything just because they are "they". "We" have no special insight into ultimate truth just because we are "we".
SOCIAL JUSTICE WITHOUT RELIGION
Leaving aside morality as it pertains to social issues, we are increasingly confronted with issues that arise out of an increasing appreciation of our place in the Universe - the place that is shared by all human beings - whatever they may believe about supernatural forces or authority. To cite just one question that each of us must answer for himself: Is it right and good that life should survive on Planet Earth? It is amazing to me that many young people are so lost in the moral vacuum left by religion that they will be indifferent to this question or shrug their shoulders to answer, No. More narrowly, many people regard humans as to be a positive evil on the planet and welcome the demise of the human race. The stunning truth is that is hard to find anyone who thinks such questions are worth a moment's thought.
Our chance to prevent catastrophic climate change is slipping away from us on a daily basis. There is a very real possibility that the end of the human race is not far off and we may, in fact, prevent that from happening by personal actions in our lifetime. Will we? Will we try? The Biblical story is not helping us here. The story of Noah tells us that God judged all of humanity to be worth destruction (indeed all of Nature). God condemned all of humanity because of the disobedience of one man (Adam) over one instruction, then arbitrarily reversed that decision because of the sacrifice of one man (Jesus) but that saved only "believers". All this mythology predisposes believers of all sorts (not just Christians) to be open to the idea that the Universe would somehow be better off without us.
I'm not quite arrogant enough to propose a solution to this ultimate existential question. All I can do is make a choice for myself. I chose not to commit suicide out of guilt for being a human being. I chose not to give up on humanity. I chose to regard saving the natural world from destruction as being a cause worthy of my active support.
The fashionable trend toward "save the planet" ideology is encouraging to me, but the really big, nasty threats are not being prevented or even challenged. We march to save the whales but fail to save the oceans. We are willing to save the planet as long as it doesn't cost jobs or raise taxes. We are happy to watch the planet die because others are not doing their share to prevent it. It can all seem silly and sad. Personally, it often seems that all I can do is to see the situation as clearly as possible and share that knowledge (or at least the desire to have that knowledge) with others.
From what I know of the "big picture", there is no ultimate guarantee that things will turn out the way I'd like. I'm certain of my own fate. The thought that there may come a time when there is no living thing left in the Universe is even more fearful. The Universe without God (which is what I believe to be the case) has no special love for us or life itself.
There is a daily corollary of this attitude, which is a love for life in all its forms. For me at least, such love takes the place of religion. Like faith, it is a free choice.
Basically, I can ignore religion's claims of authority (derived from beyond the observable Universe) as well as its claims that its insights trump observation reality.
If I compare my life and priorities with others who allow religion to totally dominate, the advantage is huge. Millions are willing to die for their particular religious fantasy. Millions of others willingly surrender their right to chose for themselves in matters of great personal impact. It matters.
This blog recognizes that I am embedded in a culture that is strongly influenced by "Christian" values and mythology. Many of us are broadly familiar with the stories in the Bible. However, actual in-depth knowledge of this book is rare. Young people - even those who think of themselves as Christian - are as shockingly ignorant about the Bible as they are about all other topics. As an influence on "Western" culture, Christianity has been so misunderstood, misapplied and discredited that it is now safe for any individual to disown it without looking back.
What is less clear is whether, by turning one's back on Christianity, I am left with the need to replace it with something else. If we accept that the soul (if any) dies with the body and there is no other Universe but the one Science describes, what are we to do without the supposed guidance that religion provides? This question remains even when we acknowledge that religion has a terrible track record in providing its supposed benefit - namely a population of believers who behave in anything like a moral, principled way.
Absent religion, Is there anything like good and evil? What is justice?
I am still left in my own personal "Matrix" in which every object, event, and situation is colored with value - everything is "good" or "bad". That's the way my brain works. If it didn't I'd starve to death in my bed, not caring to move.
One starting point is to accept the gift and the burden of free will - both for me and for those around me. We are all free to be murderers, liars, cheats and/or general parasites on society. Conversely, we can choose to be honest, principled and dedicated to the welfare of humanity. Moreover, we must admit that the choices we make and those made by others are often dictated by forces beyond our control. This observation leads us to an attitude of compassion and forgiveness (including self-forgiveness). Such an attitude recommends itself even if only to support personal peace of mind. We can choose not to be the angry sword of justice. Of course, we may choose differently but to do so flies in the face of true understanding and is bound to cause us personal grief.
But what do we do about the palpable danger that certain individuals pose to us personally and society at large? I think it makes sense for us to act to prevent such individuals from harming others. That is a supportable aim of what we call a "Justice" system. At the same time, we need to avoid the tendency for revenge and moral judgment to taint our core aim, which is to prevent harm. We need to take into account the actions of those who commit no "crime", but, through neglect and indifference. Especially in this category, the only effective action is to avoid these sins myself.
It is striking that one of the core values promoted in the Bible is what we might call tribalism. This is particularly evident in the Old Testament, which is the (largely mythical) story of how the ruler of the Universe concerns himself with the "chosen people": Israel. The "us and them" message continues in the New Testament with the message that belief in Jesus is the one and only criterion for selecting the individual for eternal life. The "us and them" mentality runs through the entire history of Christianity, as it splits into innumerable sects that regard themselves to have the keys to heaven and "outsiders" to be bound for Hell. Systematic indifference toward people who have been left out of the story entirely (such as those who never heard the "Gospel") continues in the form of indifference toward "enemy" civilians killed by the thousands in other countries.
I feel personally free to challenge this message and to do so wherever it occurs - whether in a religious context or not. It is the toxic message that is left behind even when the other-worldly justifications for it have been rejected. We need to stop thinking in terms of "us and them". "We" have no right to be killing "them". "They" have all the rights and aspirations that "we" do. "They" are not wrong about everything just because they are "they". "We" have no special insight into ultimate truth just because we are "we".
SOCIAL JUSTICE WITHOUT RELIGION
Leaving aside morality as it pertains to social issues, we are increasingly confronted with issues that arise out of an increasing appreciation of our place in the Universe - the place that is shared by all human beings - whatever they may believe about supernatural forces or authority. To cite just one question that each of us must answer for himself: Is it right and good that life should survive on Planet Earth? It is amazing to me that many young people are so lost in the moral vacuum left by religion that they will be indifferent to this question or shrug their shoulders to answer, No. More narrowly, many people regard humans as to be a positive evil on the planet and welcome the demise of the human race. The stunning truth is that is hard to find anyone who thinks such questions are worth a moment's thought.
Our chance to prevent catastrophic climate change is slipping away from us on a daily basis. There is a very real possibility that the end of the human race is not far off and we may, in fact, prevent that from happening by personal actions in our lifetime. Will we? Will we try? The Biblical story is not helping us here. The story of Noah tells us that God judged all of humanity to be worth destruction (indeed all of Nature). God condemned all of humanity because of the disobedience of one man (Adam) over one instruction, then arbitrarily reversed that decision because of the sacrifice of one man (Jesus) but that saved only "believers". All this mythology predisposes believers of all sorts (not just Christians) to be open to the idea that the Universe would somehow be better off without us.
I'm not quite arrogant enough to propose a solution to this ultimate existential question. All I can do is make a choice for myself. I chose not to commit suicide out of guilt for being a human being. I chose not to give up on humanity. I chose to regard saving the natural world from destruction as being a cause worthy of my active support.
The fashionable trend toward "save the planet" ideology is encouraging to me, but the really big, nasty threats are not being prevented or even challenged. We march to save the whales but fail to save the oceans. We are willing to save the planet as long as it doesn't cost jobs or raise taxes. We are happy to watch the planet die because others are not doing their share to prevent it. It can all seem silly and sad. Personally, it often seems that all I can do is to see the situation as clearly as possible and share that knowledge (or at least the desire to have that knowledge) with others.
From what I know of the "big picture", there is no ultimate guarantee that things will turn out the way I'd like. I'm certain of my own fate. The thought that there may come a time when there is no living thing left in the Universe is even more fearful. The Universe without God (which is what I believe to be the case) has no special love for us or life itself.
There is a daily corollary of this attitude, which is a love for life in all its forms. For me at least, such love takes the place of religion. Like faith, it is a free choice.
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